Willow's Witch Handbook
by isiscreator
Summary: Everything you need to know and more
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

What is witchcraft?

As the name suggests is a craft but it is also a religion. Witchcraft, in fact, was known as the 'The Craft of the Wise."' It was so called because those who practised it lived close to the nature and cured the diseases of the people, a service that nobody else could render. Because these witches stayed close to nature, they over a period of time were able to decode the healing properties of various herbs and plants. Witchcraft is actually a 'craft' and not a religion. The religion that the witches follow is called Wicca. Since the basic principles and beliefs of witchcraft are also followed in Wicca, therefore, witchcraft is generally identified with religion.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

What is a witch?

According to a web definition, a witch is an enchantress, a female sorcerer or a magician. In modern age, a witch is also called a Wiccan or a believer in Wicca. Witchcraft was used for humanitarian purposes. Witchcraft is now a religion called Wicca and the believers in Wicca are called Wiccans. Anyone can be a witch and yet be a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and Jew, Muslim or even an atheist. Witchcraft is, probably, the most democratic religion in the world that allows for maximum freedom to every individual in thought and action.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Witchcraft and Wiccan Spells

There is a spell for almost every desire under the sun. It must, however, be noted that certain objects like crystals, gems, stones, herbs, beads and so on have their own inner energies which are invoked by the witches by using their own powers. These items can be worn as ornaments round the neck or arms, kept under the pillow or at certain other places in the house or workplace. Beauty and glamour spells, for example, may be used to change the color of your eyes, grow your hair, remove acne from your face or acquire a bright and clear color for your skin. Job spells can help get new jobs or promotion in the existing job. You can get career spells, employment spell, job search spell, or, spell to shine in a job, spell to do well in an interview, spell to attract new customers and spell to ward off evil co-workers and so on. You may contact a psychic or a witch to cast a spell for you, or, you may cast it yourself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Common Witchcraft Ingredients

Basil is normally used for exorcism. It can also be useful in creating potions for love spells. One may utilize it in creating potions for protecting himself/herself. With this, one may have a healthy mind and body. For a person who encounters nightmares, basil may be used to counter these nightmares. It helps alleviate bad dreams and counter it with good ones if possible. Caraway seeds are said to have magic within it. It allows one to achieve a healthy mind and body just like basil. With this, one may enhance his/her mind and do well in exams, work and other things you may encounter in life. Bay leaves can grant one the chance to predict the future. Some events which normal people cannot know through perception may be granted. Also, these leaves allow one to acquire psychic power which in turn lay out wisdom for one to use in psychic readings. Bay leaves may issue benefits in health. It can help create potions which can highly help in one's healing. Anise is considered a must in every protection potion. It helps one purify his/her soul. With this, the person may be able to seek the goodness in life without worrying about the negative forces which may take him/her down. Garlic can drive away bad spirits. It can also be used in potions for love and magic. With this, you may obtain success in the financial side. Also, garlic cloves can help one protect him/her from physical pains and sickness. Coriander, on the other hand, helps one in alleviating sickness. It can also help improve the mix of a potion for love and healing. It can issue out the best in love potions which may drive another person towards another. With this, coriander is the best choice of people mixing up love potions for witchcraft spells.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Spells

What is a spell? A spell is something which witches and wizards use to attain, protect, or produce something. It is something that is done by a mere wave of a wand, by doing a ritual, or by simply pronouncing a few words. One can also be placed under a spell if they drink or eat something which has been spell-bounded. If one is not a witch or a wizard, and is not a believer of both, they might find it hard to believe that such strong forces and spells do exist. The strength of a spell is dependent upon the abilities of the caster or the one making the spell. It could last for just a brief period or it might also last for a long time. Just as spells are formed and created, they can also be broken. Today, even if you are not a witch, you can perform spells for your own good. For example, if you want to see who your future partner in life will be, if you want to be beautiful in the eyes of men or of all people, or if you want to find love, there are spells for these. Such spells can be done by a spell caster but there will be an equivalent amount to be paid if one chooses to employ this method. If one does not know any spell caster, they can do the spells themselves without any added cost. They just need to follow the instructions and also secure the things needed for the spell. Below is a list of spells that one can do:

*Love Spell* -One should do this spell on a Friday night when the moon is full. The materials needed are a sheet of paper with lines, a red marker or pen, an envelope, red or pink petals, favourite red lipstick, and favourite scent of perfume. So the first thing to do is to write down the specific qualities that one would want to find in their lover on a sheet of paper using the red marker. After doing this, one needs to spray the paper with their perfume. Next, they are going to fold the paper and put it inside the envelope. Then, they need to take a handful of the petals in their right hand. While squeezing the petals they are going to envision themselves happy in their relationship and so in love for about 15-30 minutes. Afterwards, they are going to drop the petals into an envelope and seal it with a kiss after applying the red lipstick. The envelope should not be opened otherwise, the spell will be broken. Keep it in a secure location.

*Spell to See Your Future Love*-This spell is done on the night before Valentine's Day. One will need only 3 pieces of almond candies covered in white chocolate. He is going to simply say the incantation after putting the candies under his/her pillow before going to sleep. When they wake up they will see who is meant for them. Aside from these two examples, there are also spells on how stay committed, how to break up with their partner, reveal the truth, flirting, stop a fight, and many more.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Witchcraft History

The word witch owes its origin to Anglo-Saxon word 'Wicca' which itself has been derived from the word' wicce' which means 'wise'. The word 'witch' also means to 'twist or bend' which is another phrase for psychogenesis or telekinesis, a psychic ability that was demonstrated by Uri Geller worldwide on television shows. It is believed that the origin of the word 'witch' dates back to thousands of years when people widely worshipped Mother Earth or Nature as goddesses. They also revered women as they were considered the creators of new life. It is believed that the origin of the word 'witch' dates back to thousands of years when people widely worshipped Mother Earth or Nature as goddesses. They also revered women as they were considered the creators of new life. Moreover, it was practiced primarily by women because they stayed at home while the men folk went out for work. Witchcraft not only included magic, but also home medicines comprising potions, herbs, stones, oils, massages and similar other simple home remedies. This was one reason that the mothers and grandmothers taught witchcraft to their daughters and granddaughters. There were some men witches as well, but they were not very common. Since witches provided vital health and family services, they were considered wise and were highly respected. They were not feared, but valued because they healed the sick and the suffering, both human beings and beasts. Witchcraft was a multifaceted religious practice. Witches performed hypnosis, therefore, they made the childbirth and other painful health conditions pain free. They also used telepathy, clairvoyance, intuition, dowsing, crystal gazing, trance, communication with spirits and similar other occult practices to resolve the health and other problems of the people. Religion and magic were inseparable from each other. When people flocked to witches with their problems, the high priests and other functionaries of the Christian Church felt threatened. They, therefore, attributed the magical powers of the witches to the Devil. Since the Church and the monarchy were united with each other, they started persecuting the witches. They filed cases against them in the court and sent them to jail or even sentenced them to death. So much so, the Scottish Witchcraft Act of 1563 punished even the people who consulted the witches for solving their medical problems. They accused these people of being their supporters. The young people refrained from practicing witchcraft for the fear of persecution and those who continued their practice became old and ugly due to poverty, fear and deprivation as the time passed. This is the reason why the witches have been portrayed as old, ugly, mean and fearful. Witches loved and worshipped nature in all its manifestations. They deeply revered the earth, sun, moon, stars, planets, trees, animals, forests, clouds, rains, oceans, rivers and lakes. They felt mystified and overawed at the changing moods and forms of Nature and considered them as harbingers of change, auspicious or ominous. Witchcraft was close to paganism. Witches had a deep knowledge of the benefits of trees, plants and herbs. They, for example, had special praise for oak tree and considered it sacred. Mistletoe that grows as a parasite on oak tree was considered a valuable herb. It was used for healing and also in ceremonies and rituals. It was harvested at the Summer Solstice by using a golden sickle. When chopped, it was caught on a piece of cloth to prevent it from falling on the ground. Witchcraft was taken to North America by the Europeans who settled there. Though it was officially banned, some early settlers practiced it secretly. It was believed that witchcraft would protect them from the attacks of the Native Americans. With the advent of the New Age witchcraft has regained its old respect and is being widely practiced by highly educated people. Witchcraft is considered the most democratic religion in the world as it gives each individual the freedom to practice his own religious beliefs without referring them to any established religious regime.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 8

How to become a witch:

Becoming a witch means learning witchcraft as a religion of Nature. The first step, therefore, in learning witchcraft is to understand Nature and love it for what it is. You cannot love anything unless you develop a feeling or empathy for it. This is possible only when you stay close to it. So stay close to Nature. Watch the grandeur of sun rise and sun set, or, the different phases of the moon and try to grasp the mystery behind them. Listen to the celestial music in the chirping of the birds, the blowing of wind, thunder of clouds, flashes of lightning and the lapping of waves. Soak your heart and soul in the warm rays of the sun in winter and cool winds in summer. This can happen only if you find time from your busy schedule of work.

Study the literature on witchcraft

Study as many books and magazines on witchcraft as possible. Read the history of witchcraft and learn about the suffering of the witches at the hands of the prejudiced priests and other vested interests in various societies of the world. This will enable you to study the witchcraft in its true perspective.

Join communes, Covens, forums and discussion boards

Log on to Internet and you can find a host of forums, discussion boards, communes and covens devoted to the study of witchcraft. Join one or two of these forums and become their active member. It means that you should regularly study the topics discussed in the forums, raise questions and seek guidance and experience of the senior witches or members. You will get to know the practical problems faced by the new entrants to witchcraft and how to resolve them.

Find Guru

When you have formed a sufficient idea of the witchcraft and have become well versed with its special language and vocabulary, you should seek tutelage of a reputed guru. Quite possibly you may not succeed with you initial attempts to be accepted by him. Once you show your sincerity and perseverance in learning the subject, you will be taken into his inner circle. The guru will lead you by hand and reveal the true secrets of witchcraft. He will remove the cobwebs of ignorance and plant new seeds of knowledge about witchcraft. Your proximity to the guru will itself be a great learning experience.

Develop the faith

We live in the world of science and reason. It is always good to remain awake and avoid following anyone blindly. But do we question the wisdom of our parents and teachers when we are young initiates? We follow them as we are told to. We have implicit faith in them. It is the same with religion of witchcraft. We have to walk a few steps on the path suggested by the teacher or guru without questioning his wisdom or trying to find reasons for the same. The taste of the pudding lies in eating it first and then finding how and why it becomes sweet. Religion or faith by their very nature defy argumentation of the type that science and logic teach us. Similarly, you should develop faith in the power of words and rituals, which to agnostics may be empty words. Your faith will invest the rituals with power and then you will see the magic of their performance.

Keep a journal

Keep a journal of your activities in witchcraft. Narrate your successes and failures. Maintaining a journal can be very helpful in keeping you alert on a daily basis. It is like noting the calories you take in your food on a daily basis. You can control them only if you keep a note of them. It is the same with learning every craft including witchcraft. The journal will ultimately become your Book of Shadows or your book of reference in your experiments with witchcraft as you work your way in exploring its deeper mysteries.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

How to become a witch:

Becoming a witch means learning witchcraft as a religion of Nature. The first step, therefore, in learning witchcraft is to understand Nature and love it for what it is. You cannot love anything unless you develop a feeling or empathy for it. This is possible only when you stay close to it. So stay close to Nature. Watch the grandeur of sun rise and sun set, or, the different phases of the moon and try to grasp the mystery behind them. Listen to the celestial music in the chirping of the birds, the blowing of wind, thunder of clouds, flashes of lightning and the lapping of waves. Soak your heart and soul in the warm rays of the sun in winter and cool winds in summer. This can happen only if you find time from your busy schedule of work.

Study the literature on witchcraft

Study as many books and magazines on witchcraft as possible. Read the history of witchcraft and learn about the suffering of the witches at the hands of the prejudiced priests and other vested interests in various societies of the world. This will enable you to study the witchcraft in its true perspective.

Join communes, Covens, forums and discussion boards

Log on to Internet and you can find a host of forums, discussion boards, communes and covens devoted to the study of witchcraft. Join one or two of these forums and become their active member. It means that you should regularly study the topics discussed in the forums, raise questions and seek guidance and experience of the senior witches or members. You will get to know the practical problems faced by the new entrants to witchcraft and how to resolve them.

Find Guru

When you have formed a sufficient idea of the witchcraft and have become well versed with its special language and vocabulary, you should seek tutelage of a reputed guru. Quite possibly you may not succeed with you initial attempts to be accepted by him. Once you show your sincerity and perseverance in learning the subject, you will be taken into his inner circle. The guru will lead you by hand and reveal the true secrets of witchcraft. He will remove the cobwebs of ignorance and plant new seeds of knowledge about witchcraft. Your proximity to the guru will itself be a great learning experience.

Develop the faith

We live in the world of science and reason. It is always good to remain awake and avoid following anyone blindly. But do we question the wisdom of our parents and teachers when we are young initiates? We follow them as we are told to. We have implicit faith in them. It is the same with religion of witchcraft. We have to walk a few steps on the path suggested by the teacher or guru without questioning his wisdom or trying to find reasons for the same. The taste of the pudding lies in eating it first and then finding how and why it becomes sweet. Religion or faith by their very nature defy argumentation of the type that science and logic teach us. Similarly, you should develop faith in the power of words and rituals, which to agnostics may be empty words. Your faith will invest the rituals with power and then you will see the magic of their performance.

Keep a journal

Keep a journal of your activities in witchcraft. Narrate your successes and failures. Maintaining a journal can be very helpful in keeping you alert on a daily basis. It is like noting the calories you take in your food on a daily basis. You can control them only if you keep a note of them. It is the same with learning every craft including witchcraft. The journal will ultimately become your Book of Shadows or your book of reference in your experiments with witchcraft as you work your way in exploring its deeper mysteries.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Learn Witchcraft

Witchcraft is both a religion and craft. Religion also involves worship which in turn requires the performance of rituals. Witchcraft is the art of performing rituals for realising your spiritual potential.

Study books and nature

You must start with reading as many books on witchcraft as possible to get a thorough understanding of its tenets and beliefs. Witchcraft is closer to Paganism, which is a religion of Nature. So you should also go directly into the lap of Nature to have a practical feel of the religion of witchcraft. Watch the flight of the birds at sunrise and sunset. Enjoy the movement of the moon, its growth to bright, rounded fullness and decline. Read books through brooks and sermons in stones, as Wordsworth said. Behold the clouds passing through the mountains and over the seas. Watch the changing colors in the sky and on the earth. Take a notebook and write your feelings on seeing Nature in its various avatars. Nature is the manifestation of God's glory at its best. You will be able to revere Nature for its awesome beauty and benevolence. Once you get the true feel of Nature, you will fall in love with it, appreciate it and be an integral part of it. You will acquire the basic qualification to learn witchcraft.

The basic rule of witchcraft

Before you start learning the witchcraft, you must remember the single most important tenet of witchcraft regarding rituals and magic: Whatever you do will come back to you three fold. If you commit a sin, you will face three-fold punishment. If you do good, you will be rewarded three times.

Rituals

The rituals used in witchcraft are not just hocus pocus way of mystifying the worship or mumbling meaningless words or sentences. The rituals are meant to evoke the hidden energies in nature and channel them to achieve positive and beneficial results. Rituals involve casting circles, calling quarters, invoking gods/goddess/ Mother Nature/Mother Goddess to bless you with the required energies and finally closing the circle. You can follow the established rituals for worship or you can develop your own. It is always better to write them down so that you can stick to them.

Join a coven of like-minded witches

Covens are congregations or networks of witches who perform rituals and worship together. You can join a coven to interact with the fellow witches and discuss your problems, if any, with them. Covens provide great opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. You can seek guidance and directions from the experienced witches.

Meditation

Learn to meditate daily. It will improve your focus and concentration. You will learn to be still and calm at your heart. The success of your rituals will depend on your ability to concentrate upon with a calm and quiet heart. Though not essential, it is helpful to burn incense or place flowers to create a spiritual atmosphere.

Book of Shadows: Create your own Book of Shadows or a journal of your experiments with witchcraft. Note down your feelings, emotions, bliss or disappointments and your successes or failures with your rituals, worship and magic. The true magic of witchcraft lies in feeling a blissful peace and making others get the same experience. Enjoy your union with Nature and Mother Goddess without asking anything in return. There is no end to human desires. No sooner you fulfill one desire through performance of rituals or worship, another desire crops up. Your own Book of Shadows will help you perform better by keeping a check on your mistakes.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Black and white witchcraft

Practicing witchcraft is a learning process. You may never arrive at the peak of your career but you may use the information learned in witchcraft to develop your sense of urgency. With this, you may also uplift your way of living and improve your mental awareness. There are many techniques you can employ in life. All you need to do is to gain more knowledge about yourself. It takes one to know one. With this, know your strengths and weakness. Let your power be nurtured day by day. However, you must first know what kind of witch you may be. There are two sides of witchcraft. These are white and black witchcraft. The two are opposing in nature. Let your mind set you to which side you would want to be.

Here are some characteristics of both practices. White Witchcraft

Practiced to provide good intentions to the people around you.

The practitioners are often said to have a Wiccan faith. This is a religion which is guided by modern pagan beliefs. It allows one to look in the earth and aspire for its development.

Practitioners believe in the threefold return. This belief says that for every good action you make, the return of this is three times in magnitude. This also applies in the bad side. However Wiccan practice does not encourage bad practices in life.

Practitioners normally utilize prayers and rituals. They use spells to provide luck to the people around them.

Practitioners also use objects which are highly useful for witchcraft. Some witches utilize talismans and crystals. They are said to benefit a lot from such objects.

Black Witchcraft

Practitioners perform acts which are spiteful and provide harm to others.

They utilize unnatural acts which inflict danger to a number of people. With this, their enemies can be washed away or banished in a certain place.

They conduct negative acts in order to punish spiteful enemies for their selfish gain.

Practitioners use black magic. Nonetheless, black magic is not solely used for negative sense. It can also provide best hopes to those people who are hurt and needs to regain strength through fighting back.

People do not take black magic lightly. They tend to fear the practitioners of black witchcraft.

The magic used in this kind of witchcraft is a common source of misconception.

Black magic is commonly practiced in most of the black witches' covens.

Practitioners sometimes fear the negative consequences of black magic.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Wicca Gods and Goddesses

Wicca is the most liberal religion in the world. There is absolutely no regimentation of dos and don'ts of any kind in Wicca philosophy so long as you cause no harm to anyone. It is not like Christian religion where you are supposed to revere the saints canonized only the church. You are free to worship gods and goddesses of your community. There are, therefore, literally thousands of different gods and goddesses in pantheons of different religions of the world. The ones you choose to worship depend upon your spiritual path. Most Viccans describe themselves as eclectic. This means they follow their own choice. They may worship a god of one tradition and the goddess of another. Of course, you have to consider your special needs and the domain that the god presides over. For example, if you are an artist and want help to improve your skills, crafts or handiwork, you cannot call upon Cupid or Venus to help you, as their domain is love and beauty and not arts and crafts. In your case, you have to invoke the Celtic smith god Lugh.

Who is Lugh

Lugh is the patron god of skills and arts and distributor of talents. He is similar to Roman god Mercury. There are innumerable statues and inscriptions dedicated to Lugh in Celtic faith. Julius Caesar was deeply impressed by the powers of Lugh and he recommended the powers of this god to the Celtic people. Although Lugh was not a warrior god in the sense of Roman gods such as Mars, he was still worshipped by the soldiers because he could bless them with martial skills. Since Lugh is the patron god of artisans, his blessings are specially sought in making weapons of war such as sword, arrows, bows and spears. Lugh is worshipped as an ancient god for modern times. He is the champion of artistry. Therefore, many artisans, musicians, bards, craftsmen call for his mercy and help whenever they want inspiration and creativity. Lugh is widely venerated in Ireland as a god of thunder and storms and sam ildanach, implying that he was skilled in many arts simultaneously. The farmers and agriculturists worship Lugh with songs, dances and bonfires.

NOTE: not all gods and goddesses are mentioned there are hundreds of wiccan gods.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Salem Witches

Salem witches were a group of people who were persecuted in the ancient time due to their practice of bad witchcraft. Supernatural events keep on occurring in the lives of the people in some places in the United States. With this phenomenon in hand, a strong belief that the evil actively persists on earth. Nonetheless, supporters of witchcraft have defended its worth due to the benefits it provides for agriculture and farming. At first, white magic has been useful for people in charming wild animals for food and communicating with the Gods for a good harvest. As this type of magic progressed, other forces were able to penetrate its core by conceptualizing dark magic. These two opposite forces have consistently fought each other each taking side either the good or the bad. From then on, witches became an issue. There were good practitioners who utilized white magic for their incantations and charms. On the other hand, the dark magic also has witches that use dark magic to provide harm to the people she grudges. It was said that these Salem witches worships the devil. Supernatural events and apparitions thus, are all generalized to be evil. These individuals are known to be advocates of the devil and thus must be persecuted and banished in earth.

Salem witches are from the place called Salem

They are accused of creating misfortunes along with their common work. Their work was attributed with the practices done by the devil. This involves deaths in the nearby places as well as failure in receiving good harvest. With this, the supernatural forces were blamed. The women in this place is said to practice witchcraft that potentially caused all the catastrophic events in the area. With this, Salem witches were known to issue negative things within and outside Salem. It has been a historical knowing that these events happened before. Executions were met after the laws which allowed persecution of accused witches. When a person points into someone who is said to inflict harm and pain to another due to witchcraft, this person can issue a complaint against the accused witch. When the complaint is found to be valid, the alleged witch is arrested and sought to seek people's suggestion for public examination. With this, the public will interrogate and arbitrate the execution of the person. Once found guilty the witch can be put in execution.

The death of Salem witches were made through different means

An example of execution technique was pressing of the body through the use of stones. There are also times which they use fire in order for the Salem witch to be burned alive. The witches nonetheless, were at times given proper burial. However, these are done in rare cases only. This is done when her family tends to be more respecting even though she is considered a Salem witch. Records have shown that Salem witch trials continued for a very long time until witchcraft practice alleviated in most places in the United States and other parts of the world.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Scarab and Witchcraft

The ancient Egyptians understood the sacred nature and the power of scarab. It was, for them, a symbol of life, hope, regeneration and the victory of hard work and perseverance over lethargy and inaction. The scarab represents how the strong will can overcome the hurdles. The actions of scarab also reveal the will of the gods and goddesses. The witches empower the amulets and talismans made in the shape of scarab by using certain rituals in the worship of the god Ra or Atum. Ra could roll the sun across the sky, over to the horizon in the evening and back in the morning. Witches use the gold, silver or plastic scarabs as oracles to divine the future. They hold them in their hands and concentrate upon them. They then see visions or dream like scenes, which they 'read' out, as divination of the future or solution to the problem. There is yet another way the witches use scarab as an oracle. They take a set of thirty or so scarabs. Each model of scarab bears an inscription on its flat backside. The front side of the scarabs bears the symbols of Egyptian deities and other sacred things like ankh or the pyramids. They mix or shuffle the scarabs up. The subject is, then, asked to pick up one scarab out of the lot of 30. It is like tarot cards with the difference that the number of scarabs is much lower than 78 tarot cards. The witch reader then interprets the symbol on the scarab selected by the client subject. The symbols on the backside of the scarab model can be used to answer questions on various issues that the clients come up with. They may range from love, money, profession, job, career, family, health, relationships, and spiritual path and so on. The use of scarab in witchcraft is another illustration of the belief that the witches or the users of witchcraft place in the creatures of Mother Nature. These creatures can range from as small and seemingly insignificant insects like scarab to the powerful gods and goddesses in the pantheons of various religions and mythologies.


End file.
